Bulk plant pumping system and control



June 3, 1941. A. J. GRANBERG ETAL I BULK PLANT PUMPING SYSTEM AND CONTROL Filed May 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 S7012: as

. INVENTORS ALBERT-21!. GRANBERG THOMA CoY BY I a U ATTORNEYS.

June 3, 1941. A. J. GRANBERG ETAL 2,244,106

BULK .PLANT PUMPING SYSTEM AND CONTROL Filed ma a, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 2 6 FIE-1. 7 6

INVENTORS ALBERT J. GRANBERG BY y j ATTORNEYS.

J 1941. A. J. GRANBERG ETAL 2,244,106

BULK PLANT PUMPING SYSTEM AND CONTROL Filed May 5, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. ALBERT J GRANBEIZG THOMAS A. M0 OY Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED ST res '1" primes BULK PLANT PUMPING CONTROL SYSTEM AND Albert J. Granberg, Berkeley, and Thomas A. McCoy, Oakland, Calif., assignors to Granberg Equipment Inc., tion of California Emeryville, Calif., a-corpora- Application May 3, 1938, Serial No. 205,736

2 Claims.

handling different liquids directly from a loading 7 platform without the possibility of operating more than one, pump at one time, thereby preventing overload of the prime mover.

Another object of our invention is to provide a simple selective pumping system for bulk plant use, the pumpingoperations being under full controlof an operator at the loading platform.

Still another object is to provide a bulk plant pumping system and control suitable for handling gasolines and oils.

Other objects of our invention will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but we do not limit ourselves to the embodiment of the invention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

Our invention may be more fully understood by direct reference to the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the essential features of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a top View of a preferred pump set-up.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the same pump set-up.

Fig. 4 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of a magnetic clutch.

Fig. 5 is a front view of a hydraulic control.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, of a hydraulically controlled clutch.

Referring directly to Fig. l for the main features of a preferred pumping system, a loading rack is provided with a plurality of pipe valves l, 2 and 3. While our invention is obviously applicable to more than three lines, this number is suflicient to demonstrate our device.

Each valve l, 2 and 3 is positioned to discharge into container 4, which will represent any and all of the containers normally loaded at a loading rack. Valves l, 2 and 3 are supplied, respectively, with fluid under pressure from pumps 6, 1 and 8, these pumps drawing their supply of liquid from storage tanks #1, #2 and#3. Inasmuch as one of the foremost uses of our invention is in the loading of various grades of gasoline and oils, the storage tanks may well contain various grades of these commodities.

A single prime mover I0 is provided, which, in this case, is an electric motor, but in many instances it is obvious that other prime movers may be utilized. .Motor It drives a master shaft H on Whichsmall pulleys l2, l3 and H! are positioned, free to rotate thereon, these small pulleys driving large pulleys I 5, i6 and I1, respectively, connected to pumps ii, I and 3, also respectively. We

may prefer to utilize multiple belts l8 to drive the pumps from the,small pulleys, but it is obvious that chain or other drive may be fully as satisfactory.

Magnetic clutches 2i], 2! and 22 are provided, frictionally connecting the main drive shaft H to each of the small pulleys l2, l3 and M, when energized; The details of one preferred form of these clutches are shown in Fig. 4.

A case 3t! is provided, enclosing an actuating solenoid 3| energized through wires 32. A core 33 ispcsitioned within solenoid 3| on the end of actuating lever 3t pivoted on lever pin 35. The clutch arm end 35 of actuating lever 34 projects through the case and engages clutch collar 31, which moves a clutch cone 38 along a spline 39 on the main shaft l l. Cone 38 engages clutch block iilattached to one of pulleys 52, I3 or Is, and these pulleys are maintained in their longitudinal position on shaft ll by thrust collar 4!. When solenoid 3| is actuated, core 33 is drawn into the solenoid, forcing cone 38 against clutch block li), thus coupling shaft ll to the small pulley. Return spring 42 inside the case releases the clutch upon de-energization of solenoid 3|.

Control wires 58 lead from one side of the three solenoids to master control switch 5 i, which is placed at the loading rack directly adjacent valves I, 2 and 3, so that a single operator can simultaneously operate, if he so desires, the valves and the master switch. The master switch is preferably so arranged that no two of the solenoids can beenergized at the same time.

The common lead 52 from the master switch is attached to one side of motor leads 53, the other side of the motor lead being connected to the free end of all solenoids in parallel. A motor switch 54 is provided at the loading rack, connecting motor II] to a convenient power supply, and thus it will be seen that unless the motor ii] is energized, none of the clutches can be operated by master switch 5|.

The operation of the system is simple. A con tainer to be loaded is placed on the loading rack under the valve connected to the pipe line carrying the liquid desired. The valve is opened and the control switch 5| is turned to the circuit energizing the clutch controlling the pump delivering the liquid desired, Motor switch 54 may then be closed, thus operating only the pump selected. It is impossible, therefore, for the loading operator to switch two pumps onto the motor at the same time.

Our system is a great improvement over the systems utilizing a separate motor for each pump, and has also great advantages over any known selective system wherein two or more pumps may be thrown onto a single motor at the same time, thus causing great overloads. Furthermore. our system saves the time of the operator, in that he does not have to go to the pump house to select the pump desired. In this manner, the pump house may be placed at a distance away from the loading rack.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 we have shown an alternative system, wherein the control is hydraulic. In this case we move clutch cone 38 by lever 36 through the medium of an axis spring 60, this spring being movable across the axis of lever pivot Bl by movement of piston rod 62. Piston rod 62 is attached to piston 63 operating in hydraulic cylinder 64, supplied with liquid from selector conduit 65. This conduit is filled with incompressible power transmitting liquid, such as a light oil, for example.

Conduits from all clutch operating cylinders 64 lead to a hydraulic distributor 66 having an operating handle 61 turning a distributing valve 68 on the front of a power cylinder 69. Central cavity l!) of valve 68 is supplied with hydraulic fluid through common channel II from hydraulic cylinder chamber 12. A power piston 13 operates longitudinally in this cylinder against return spring Hi, and power is applied to move this piston through a manual operating arm 15, operat ing a curved fork 16 within cylinder 69, this fork bearing against intermediate piston 11.- Intermediate piston TI is free to move on main piston rod 18, and is coupled to main piston 13 only by follow-up spring 19.

In operation of the hydraulic system, the distributor is set to turn liquid into the clutch control cylinder 64 desired. Handle 15 is then pushed upwardly. Fork 1%, bearing on intermediate piston 11, forces this piston down by compressing follow-up spring 19. This spring is made sufliciently strong to overcome return spring M, and therefore the main piston 13 moves downwardly, forcing liquid into the clutch cylinder selected, and moving piston 63 to operate the clutch, as described. By throwing handle 15 a distance suflicient to bring the end of curved fork 16 against the Wall of main cylinder B9, fork 16 will pass dead-center and therefore will firmly maintain intermediate piston 11 in position, thus allowing follow-up spring I9 to push against the fluid continuously. This allows for any small leakage in any of the clutch cylinders. When it is desired to release a clutch, operating arm 15 is pulled forward, thus allowing the main piston and intermediate piston to return to their normal position, as shown in Fig. 6, under the urge of return spring M, thus drawing liquid back into main cylinder chamber 12, thereby pulling clutch piston 63 to its original position, as shown in Fig. '7, and releasing the clutch.

We have thus provided a remote control system whereby the entire control of a bulk plant liquid pumping system may be centered at the loading raclgand whereby a single prime mover may be utilized to selectively operate a plurality of pumps to deliver at the loading rack the desired commodity.

We claim:

1. In a bulk plant pumping system wherein a single electric motor is used to drive any one of a plurality of pumps, a loading rack remote from said motor and pumps, outlet, pipes from said pumps terminating at said loading rack with individual valves at said rack, a line shaft directly rotated by said motor, a driving member connected to each pump each driving member mounted on and normally free to rotate on said shaft, a clutch member rotating with said shaft adjacent each driving member, a solenoid adjacent each clutch member and having a'core connected to move said clutch member into engagement with the adjacent driving member when said solenoid is energized, a power supply line having a common leg connected to each of said solenoids and said motor, a direct connection from the other leg of said power line to said motor, a pump selector switch connected to said other leg of said power line and movable to connect one only of said solenoids to said other leg at one time, said selector switch being located at said loading rack adjacent said terminal valves, and a power line switch at said loading rack adjacent said selector switch for connecting said power lines to a main current supply.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the electric motor is only of sufiicient power to drive one pump at a time.

ALBERT J. GRANBERG. THOMAS A. MCCOY. 

